Make Homemade Bath Salts

Bath salts are a relaxing, soothing, and moisturizing addition to any bath, and making your own is a fun and inexpensive DIY project that you can do in your kitchen! Homemade bath salts also make excellent gifts, or selling them at your local farmers market or craft fair could also earn you some extra money. Basic bath salts are typically made from a combination of salts, baking soda, and essential oils. But one of the best things about making your own bath salts is that you can customize the color, scents, and aromas by adding different ingredients, herbs, and oils.

Ingredients

Basic Bath Salts

• 2 cups (576 g) salts for the bath
• 1/4 cup (96 g) baking soda
• 15-30 drops essential oils

Optional Additions

• 2 teaspoons (12 ml) glycerin
• 1/8 cup (30 ml) jojoba or sweet almond oil
• Fresh herbs or flower petals
• Skin-safe fragrance
• Skin-safe coloring
• Juice and zest from a citrus fruit
• 1-2 teaspoons (6-12 ml) extract, such as vanilla or orange

Steps

Making Basic Bath Salts

1. Prepare your ingredients and supplies. Along with the required and desired extra ingredients, you will also need some tools and supplies, including a:
   • Baking sheet
   • Mixing bowl and spoon (or a resealable plastic bag)
   • Spatula
2. Mix your salts. There are many popular salt choices for bath salts, many of which are sea salts. You can mix and match your salt ratios depending on your personal preferences. With a spoon, mix together the desired portions of salt together in a medium bowl. Some of the most common bath salt choices include:
   • Epsom salts, which aren’t actually a salt, but rather magnesium sulfate in crystal form. Epsom salts are soothing for the muscles and help to soften the water.
   • Sea salts, and especially Dead Sea salts, which can reduce the symptoms of arthritis, rheumatism, psoriasis, and eczema.
   • Hawaiian red bath salts, which may help with wounds, aches, and sprains.
3. Add the baking soda and essential oils. Once the salts are mixed together, stir in the baking soda. When that has been incorporated, add your desired essential oils. Stir in five drops at a time until they are fully incorporated, and continue adding in increments of five drops until you achieve the desired potency.
   • Instead of using a bowl and spoon to mix your bath salts, you can instead mix all the ingredients together in a resealable plastic bag. Once the ingredients are in, seal the bag, and use your hands to mash the salts together with the baking soda and essential oils.
4. Add additional ingredients. To add color to your bath salts, add five drops at a time like you did with the essential oils until you achieve the desired shade and vibrancy. You can use food coloring, soap coloring, or another skin-safe color.
   • Similarly, if you want to add glycerin or oil to your bath salts for an extra moisturizing concoction, add those now and stir to mix.
   • Other optional ingredients include fruit zest and juice, fresh herbs and seeds, flower petals, and extracts.
5. Bake the mixture. This step is optional, but it will help to dry out the bath salts and remove clumps. It’s important to bake it on low heat, however, to prevent the oils and fragrances from burning off.
   • Preheat your oven to 200 F (93 C).
   • Spread the bath salt mixture evenly over a baking sheet.
   • Bake the mixture for 15 minutes, stirring every five minutes.
   • After 15 minutes, remove the bath salts from the oven and allow to cool.
6. Use and store the bath salts. To use your bath salts, simply add one-half cup to the running water as you draw your bath. Store the remainder in an airtight jar, such as a mason jar or old jam jar.

Customizing Bath Salts

1. Make pain-relieving bath salts. The basic bath salt mixture can be spruced up for any occasion or for a personalized gift, and there are many options for adding new ingredients, extracts, and oils. To make a relaxing and soothing bath salt mixture, take your basic bath salts and gently stir in:
   • One tablespoon (2.4 g) of fresh rosemary
   • Two tablespoons (4.8 g) of lavender flowers
   • Peppermint essential oil, 10 drops
   • Eucalyptus essential oil, five drops
   • Rosemary essential oil, five drops
   • Lavender essential oil, five drops
   • Cinnamon essential oil, five drops
2. Try citrus bath salts. For a refreshing and rejuvenating bath, try a citrus bath salt mix. Choose a citrus fruit (or combination), such as orange, lemon, or lime. Zest the fruit and add the zest to your basic bath salt mixture. Then, cut the fruit in half, extract the juice, and add this to your bath salt mixture as well. Complementary essential oils include:
   • Bergamot
   • Tangerine
   • Grapefruit
   • Orange, lemon, or lime
   • Mint
3. Experiment with herbal bath salts. Herbal bath salts for relaxing and refreshing baths can be made using a combination of essential oils, extracts, and one to two tablespoons (2.4 to 4.8 g) of dried or fresh ground herbs. Once you’ve added the herbs, rub the salt and herbs together in your fingers to release the oils. Some of the more popular bath-time herbs include:
   • Rosemary
   • Thyme
   • Mint or peppermint
   • Basil
   • Sage
4. Have a medicinal bath. When you are sick or feeling under the weather, a calming bath with medicinal bath salts might be exactly what the doctor ordered. To make a batch of cold-relieving bath salts that will help clear your sinuses, add in:
   • Five to 10 drops of eucalyptus essential oil
   • Five to 10 drops of rosemary essential oil
   • Two tablespoons of fresh or dried ground peppermint
5. Go floral. Similar to the herbal bath salt concoction, floral bath salts can be made with a combination of essential oils and fresh or dried flower petals or pods. Like with the herbs, if you are using fragrant flowers like lavender, rub the flowers or leaves between your fingers to release the oils after adding them to the salt. Popular flower choices are:
   • One-quarter cup (9.6 g) of rose petals
   • One-quarter cup (9.6 g) of chamomile flowers
   • One to two tablespoons (2.4 to 4.8 g) of lavender flowers or leaves
   • Fresh vanilla or vanilla extract
   • Ylang ylang essential oil
6. Create multi-colored bath salts. If you used coloring agents to give your bath salts different colors, you can mix and match layers in the same jar to create fun and unique rainbow bath salts. For instance, you could layer together a mint-green mixture and a pink grapefruit blend to create a minty, citrusy, morning bath salt mix.
   • Pour in two to three inches of your first bath salt color choice. Shake the jar gently and tilt it so the salts settle on an angle. Then, add one to two inches of another color, and tilt the jar to help the new layer settle at the same angle.
   • Repeat with as many colors as desired. Be sure to slightly vary the thickness of each layer.

Tips

• For a relaxing bath, dim the lights or use candles instead. You can also burn incense for an additional ambiance, listen to relaxing music, and practice deep breathing while in the tub.
• If you are allergic to normal salt use Epsom salt.

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Sources and Citations

See also

• Take an Epsom Salt Bath
• Make Turmeric Soap
• Use a Bath Bomb
• Make Bath Bombs
• Make a Chocolate Bubble Bath
• Make Bath Bombs With a Soap Kitchen Kit
• Exfoliate Your Legs with Salt
• Make Your Own Bath Salts
• Make Your Own Bubble Bath
• Use Honey in the Bath

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